cutler



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. A. CUTLER DESK. No. 260,950. Patented July 11, 1882.,

WITNESSES:

' INVENTOR fi CH /1.

ATTORNEY (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. OUTLE RQ DESK.

No. 260,950. 7 Patented July 11, 1882 INVENTOR Hm 1r 0 af 41W 7 MA bu ATTORNEY N. PETERS. Photo-Lithographer, wmvi mn. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrrcfe.

' ABNER CUTLER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

DESK.

STPECIFICATIO'N forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,950, dated July 11,1882.

Application filed May 1l, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABNER CUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buflfalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful 1m provements in Desks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of desks which have flexible covers sliding in grooves. Heretofore desks of this description have been provided with a permanent structure covering the case of the pigeon-holes and drawers on the top of the desk, which extends partially over the top of the desk and completely covers the back and sides of the inclosed space, the flexible portion of the cover being adapted to slide in grooves under the permanent structure and down through the body portion ofthe desk.

I propose by my invention to obviate the necessity of a greater portion of the permanent cover before referred to, and to so construct the body of the desk proper that the sliding cover will not enter the body portion of the same; and to this end the principal part of my invention consists in providing the top of the desk with permanent sides only, held from spreading outwardly by a tie-rod or other suitable means, and extending the sides of the desk proper beyond the body portion of the same in the rear, and providing the permanent sides above the .top of the desk and the rear extensions just referred to with continuous groovt s, by means of which the flexible cover will not only constitute the entire front, upper, and back cover of the desk, but will be permitted to slide down the outside of the body portion instead of inside, as before, thereby preserving the integrity of the body portion ofthe desk and obviating the necessity of the greater portion of the permanent cover heretofore in use.

My invention further consists in providing an adjustable set of drawers located under the top surface of the desk proper and between the two sets of drawers, which may be swung back out of the way when not in use by a hand-lever provided with notches and working through a keeper, the notches in the lever operating in conjunction with the keeper to lock the set of drawers in its two extreme positions, as will be more fully hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central transverse section of my improved desk, showing the grooves in which the flexible cover slides. Fig. 2 represents broken portions of the front of the desk with the sliding cover removed, and showing the tie-rod which unites the sides of the desk. Fig.3is a front view of the desk, showing the adjustable set of drawers; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken in the line 00 w of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, a a are the lower portions of the desk, containing the usual drawers, a. I

b is top of the desk proper, and b is the usual set of pigeon-holesand drawers.

c c are the permanent side portions, which constitute a part of the cover of the disk. The front portions, 0 c, are made in the form of a gradual curve, while the rear portions are formed at their upper corners, 0 into a more abrupt curve, made necessary by the proximity of the set of pigeon-holes b. As will be observed in Fig. 1, the sides 0 extend a short distance back of the body portions a of the desk and the sides a a of the portions a a are extended back an equal distance, as shown at a a in Figs. 1 and 4.

d d are grooves extending entirely around the inner surfaces of the sides 0 and the extensions a down to a point near the bottom of the extensions, and in which the flexible sliding cover 6 moves in opening and closing the desk.

f is a tie-rod which securely holds the sides 0 c from spreading away from the flexible slidin g cover 0.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the sliding flexible covere forms the entire front, upper, and back portions of the desk-cover, thus doing away with the permanent top and back heretofore used, and the extensions a a permit of the flexible cover being slid down on the outside of the body portion of the desk, instead of inside, as heretofore, thereby enabling the body of the desk to be constructed in a more firm and substantial manner, as it will be seen that in this improved construction the integrity of the top surface, I), of the desk is entirely preserved.

In Figs. 1, 3, and 41 have shown the adjustable set of drawers and its operating lever, which forms the other part of my invention;

g is the case containing the drawers g. This case is hinged at g to the cleat 9 secured to the inside surface of the portion a of the desk.

It is a hand-lever loosely pivoted in the block It, secured to the top of the casing g at its rear end and upon or near the right-hand edge thereof. This IGVGIlS provided with the notches k W, and passes through the keeper 7c, the notches 7L2 h serving to lock the set of drawers gin its two extreme positions, which are clearly shown in full and dotted lines in Figs. 3 and 4.

The operation of swinging the drawers back out of the way is as follows: The lever is grasped by the hand and lifted in the keeper 70 until the notch h" is out of engagement with thekeeper. The lever is then swung slightly to the left, which serves to start the drawers, and is then pushed inwardly until the case of drawers is swung upon its hinges to the position shown in dotted lines, and on dropping the lever the notch 71. engages with the keeper and serves to lock the drawers in that position. In swinging the drawers back to the pomanent sides only, curved in front and rear, and

having the sides of its body portion extended in the rear and continuous grooves formed on the inner surfaces of the permanent sides and rear extensions, and a flexible cover adapted to slide back and forth in such grooves, and forming, when closed, the front, top, and rear portions of the cover ofthe desk, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a desk, the combination of the permanent sides 0 c and the rear extensions, a a provided with the continuous grooves d d,with the flexible sliding cover 0, as and for the purposes stated.

3. In a desk, the combination of the hinged drawer-case g with the lever h, pivoted thereon and provided with the notches h and h, and the keeper k, in which the lever slides and with which the notches h and h engage to lock the casein its two extreme positions, substantially as shown and described.

ABNER CUTLER.

Witnesses:

FRED H. CUTLER, BYRON H. WEs'TooTT. 

